A holiday in Perranporth promises sand, sea and simply stunning scenery. This beautiful coastal resort in north Cornwall boasts a three-mile-long sandy beach, excellent surf and a bustling high street with several independent shops, cafes and bars.
The village has evolved around the beach, where you can learn to surf and kitesurf, snorkel, sail and generally splash about. Those not surfing can dip toes in the ocean at low tide when Perranporth Beach opens up to Penhale Sands, an extension of the bay for shell-seekers. The beach provides endless opportunities for relaxing, playing or simply taking a leisurely walk. If you have young children in tow, it’s easily accessible – you can just settle yourself on the sand close to the village, put down your beach towels and relax. Further afield, or if the tide’s in, older kids can explore the extensive sand dunes, which are teeming with wildlife, to catch a glimpse of butterflies and lizards. If the tide’s right out, walk up the beach to Ligger Point, just a two-mile jaunt away, for fantastic views and great birdwatching.
Try your hand at surfing at lifeguard-manned Trevaunance Cove or Holywell Bay, where professionals provide surfing lessons for surfers of all levels. Other nearby surf beaches include Crantock, Polly Joke, Penhale and Perran Sands – always be aware of rip currents and take local advice.
Perranporth’s golden sands are less than a couple of minutes walk from the village’s shops and restaurants, including ‘the UK’s only true beach bar’. The Watering Hole is a great restaurant and bar with views to match. Sit on the terrace to drink local real ales with your toes in the sand or head inside to dance until you drop. Beach barbecues, cocktails and live music nights for fun-loving beach bums are also on the menu.
When you've explored the cafés, boutique shops and ice cream parlours, head out across the countryside. The South West Coast Path runs right through Perranporth and rambles to St Agnes in the south, or Holywell Bay just north to reveal some spectacular coastal views.
Perranporth is also an ideal base from which to explore the rest of Cornwall. For day trips, picturesque Crantock is a short drive away, as is Trerice, an Elizabethan manor house with stunning gardens to explore. Both the cathedral city of Truro and the beautiful beaches of Newquay are only nine miles away, and Padstow, St Ives and the Eden Project are all within an easy 40-minute drive. Padstow’s Cornish Wine Tours offer trips to visit the best of the Cornish vineyards, from Camel Valley, Trevibban Mill, Knightor Winery and Bosue Vineyard. For theatre buffs or those who just love stunning views, the Minack Theatre is an inimitable experience: a stunning open-air theatre perched cliffside over Porthcurno Beach. Take a cushion and a bottle of wine and watch one of the productions as the sun sets.
There is something for everyone to enjoy all year round on holiday in Perranporth – perfect for families looking for beach action and those wanting a base from which to explore the coastline and nearby countryside.
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